It's Complicated
by I am The Lev
Summary: When you think about it, is political activist that far from what they normally do? It's complicated, but that's the nature of college. My first AU story, also an attempt at the Lady Clark of Books challenge. RobinMarian, WillDjaq, and others.
1. Redecorating

The blonde haired man was puzzled. He supposed that this was the "means of reflection" that she'd been going on about, but he hadn't expected her to convert the sitting room into a meditation chamber. He was still standing in the doorway, wondering whether or not he should move forward, and whether or not the others had seen the sitting room yet. He heard someone come up behind him, and he turned to see an armful of groceries.

"Carter, is there any particular reason that you're standing in the doorway?" the armful of groceries asked, clearly inconvenienced by this turn of events. Carter stepped to the side, waiting until Much had stepped over the threshold before closing the door behind him. While Much darted into the kitchen, Carter explored the newly redesigned sitting room. It looked nice, he admitted to himself, inspecting the new furniture.

"Can you give me a hand with the groceries?" Much asked, stepping out of the kitchen. He stared at the unfamiliar room design for a moment before voicing one of many questions that had been running through Carter's head. "Where's the couch?"

"It's upstairs," came the answer as Morgan bounded down the stairs, dressed in an oversized button-up shirt, boxers that Carter recognized as his, and a pair of white socks.

"You did this all today, I presume, between stealing Carter's boxers and re-enacting bits of Risky Business?" Much asked with a grin. Morgan rolled her eyes, snatching the fitted cap off of Much's head and ruffling his hair as she walked past him into the kitchen.

"Robin helped me," she explained, putting the groceries away as Much and Carter followed her into the kitchen. "Do you like it?"

"I like it. Looks a bit like a Tibetan monastery, though," Carter replied.

"It's fine with me. Would've liked a warning," Much confessed pointedly.

"Yeah, well, where would be the fun in that?" Robin's voice asked as he, too, entered the kitchen. Rather than help put the new groceries away, he decided to dispense of the old ones, grabbing a carton of orange juice from the refrigerator and popping the cap off, raising the container to his lips.

"Robin Locksley, I swear, if you drink from that carton I will hurt you," Much warned, grabbing a cup from the cabinet and tossing it to his best friend. Robin smiled good-naturedly as he caught the cup, pouring the orange juice into it to appease Much.

"Anyway, we were quite productive today. In addition to redesigning the sitting room, we finished the painting in the upstairs hallway, and gave the whole house a proper cleaning," Robin commented, sweeping his arms to indicate the spotless kitchen and the noticeable smell of cleaning products in the air.

"That's funny, because it looks like the two of you just climbed out of bed," Carter grinned teasingly. Morgan's outfit was reminiscent of her usual sleep attire, and Robin was wearing a loosely tied robe over his boxers.

"Well, we got into a paint fight," Morgan began, "and got paint all over the very last set of clean clothes that we had."

"A paint fight?" Much asked, not sure that he wanted to know.

"Yeah," Robin nodded. "Don't worry. We put a tarp down."

"And I suppose your productive day didn't include studying?" Much asked, grinning as he neatly folded the paper bags, stowing them under the sinks for later use. Morgan grinned sheepishly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We'll be fine, Much," she answered. "Our exam isn't until Tuesday. It's only Sunday." Much shook his head at the laissez-faire approach that both Robin and Morgan adopted in regards to their studies.

"I'd be less concerned if you actually went to class once and a while, rather than bumming notes from me," Much replied sharply, fixing them with an accusatory look. Carter elected to stay out of the blossoming argument, quietly backing out of the kitchen, settling down on the round, low-to-the-floor cushions that had replaced the couch. They were actually quite comfortable, he thought as he turned on the television, intent on drowning out the argument in the kitchen.

"We still make good grades," Robin pointed out. "And we don't cut class that often." Much scoffed. The first half of Robin's statement was true, if not annoying. Both Robin and Morgan made excellent grades, but if the current amount of class that they missed didn't constitute as "often", Much shuddered to think of what did.

"Yeah, well what if I stopped giving you two my notes?" he asked daringly. He knew he'd hit his mark when Robin snorted into his orange juice, and Morgan sent him a wide-eyed stare. "Thought so."

"If it makes you feel any better, we'll go to the library tonight," Robin offered. Much seemed satisfied, joining Carter in the living room. Robin met Morgan's eyes, grinning at her.

"Marian's working tonight, isn't she?" Morgan asked, eyebrow raised. Robin laughed, finishing his juice. He was pretty sure that he didn't have to answer.

---

Will leaned back in his chair, craning his neck to look around the corner. His hands kept typing as he caught sight of Allan, who was talking on the phone, looking more and more annoyed by the minute. Allan caught sight of Will's curious stare and pointed at the phone in his hand, mouthing "aunt" as he rolled his eyes. Will nodded knowingly, returning his full attention to his laptop.

He found that chemistry was an interesting enough subject, but Will was struggling with his lab report. He suspected that if Allan would stop badgering him for a round of Guitar Hero, he'd finish quicker. Though he did feel sorry that Allan had to deal with his aunt, Will was taking full advantage of his flat-mate's distraction. Unfortunately, the fates seemed to be against him as an instant message appeared on his screen. He sighed. He'd been pretty sure that he'd put up an away message. He had, but he noticed the screen name trying to talk to him and smiled, accepting the message.

_SalamuAlaykum: Will, what are you doing tonight?_

Will quickly weighed his options. If he replied to the message, he would likely be talked into hanging out. Not that he was a complete introvert, but he hated leaving work until the last minute, and his lab report was due on Monday. At about this time, Allan came around the corner, apparently finished talking to his aunt. He leaned on the back of Will's chair, glancing over his shoulder and noticing the open IM window.

"Tell Djaq I said 'hi'," he muttered, tapping Will on the shoulder. Will nodded, typing a reply.

_WScarlet: Working on that chem lab. Allan says hi._

"What did your aunt have to say?" he asked, changing the subject. Allan shuddered, walking over his own desk and sitting backwards in his chair.

"Said that if I got into trouble again, she'd yank me out of here and ship me off to the Navy," he cited, though it was obvious that he'd heard the threat before. "I tried to point out that getting a C in a class isn't really getting into trouble, but she didn't want to hear that."

"Sorry to hear that," Will said sincerely. Allan's parents had passed on a few years ago, leaving him and his younger brother in the care of their perfectionist aunt, who was convinced that her nephews were no good. Allan shrugged.

"It's alright. She can't actually do anything. She's just used to saying stuff like that," he scoffed. Will nodded, glancing back at his laptop, noticing that the IM window was blinking.

_SalamuAlaykum: Hi, Allan. I'm about half-way through my lab. Do you guys want to go to the library and work together?_

Will was all for the idea of going to the library, especially to meet up with Djaq, a girl that was in his chemistry class. She lived in the same apartment building, but Will had yet to pluck up the courage to pay her a visit. He turned to face Allan again.

"Djaq says 'hi', and she wants to know if we want to go to the library to work on chemistry," he relayed, waiting for Allan's reply. Allan nodded. Chemistry was not one of his best subjects, and he would take all the help he could get.

_WScarlet: Yeah. When do you want to meet?_

_SalamuAlaykum: Is 7 ok?_

_WScarlet: Sure._

_SalamuAlaykum: ok. I gtg. See you at 7!_

"So, we'll meet her at the library at seven," Will announced, without turning around, saving his work before closing his laptop. "Which takes care of all of my homework for the weekend."

"Good," Allan grinned. "Up for a round of Guitar Hero?"

---

Carter finished folding his laundry, making a mental note to steal back all of the boxers that Morgan had taken as he noticed the half-empty state of his underwear drawer. True to their word, Robin and Morgan had gone to study. Carter looked across the hall at Morgan's bedroom, grinning at the distinct difference.

His room was well-maintained. His bed was neatly made. His desk was organized. Her room looked like a display case for entropy. Her bed was a mountain of unmade sheets and comforters. Her desk looked ready to buckle under the various things that she'd tossed haphazardly onto it.

When Morgan had first moved into the house, it had caused more than a few problems, and Carter had resented the new resident. Robin's parents owned the house that was conveniently close to the campus, and Robin had invited several of his friends to come and live with him. It had been like a fraternity, just Robin, Much, Carter, and Morgan's brother, Michael.

Michael had been older by a year, and the rest of them had been respectful when he'd asked if Morgan could come to live with them. She'd spent her first year after high school on a "spiritual trek" to find herself, and by the time she'd wandered back into the country, all of the spaces on campus had filled up.

Of course, they hadn't thought about how it would look with one girl living in a house full of men, and they hadn't thought about how different they'd have to behave. They thought that they were used to having a girl around, seeing how Robin's on-again-off-again girlfriend, Marian, hung around the house often enough. They thought wrong. It was different when the girl lived there.

Carter learned the hard way, for instance, that they were no longer free to burst into the bathrooms whenever they wanted. He had also learned that the shower curtain was quite transparent and that Michael had a vicious right hook. Much's hopes that perhaps he'd end up with less housework had been dashed when Morgan had nearly blown up the microwave. Months after the incident, they still found bits of exploded casserole.

Carter and Morgan hadn't gotten along at all, having started off on the wrong foot with the whole shower fiasco. That had all changed when Michael had died during a mugging. Carter's own brother had been involved in a car accident, and he suddenly felt a bond with the person that, until that point, he'd simply called "the girl across the hall."

"Carter!" Much called from downstairs, pulling him from his reminiscing. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

"Which one?" Carter asked, stepping out of his room and leaning over the balcony railing.

"I was thinking something awe-inspiring," Much said. "Apocalypse Now?"

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning," Carter conceded, heading down the stairs.

---

So, here's chapter one of this little AU story that I've been toying around with. I know that the Lady Clark of Books challenge called for high school fics, but I hope she doesn't mind if I used college instead. It leant itself to my projected storyline far more easily.

I know there wasn't a terrible amount of action in this chapter, but if I decided to continue, I promise that things will heat up pretty fast.

This was more to establish the roles of the outlaws.

Basically, Robin, Much, Carter, and Morgan all live together in a big house. Will and Allan are flat-mates at an apart complex, and Djaq and Marian are flat-mates on a different floor of the same building.

Also making an appearance in this story, if I decide to go ahead with it, will be Little John, the Sheriff, and Guy. Their roles will not be discussed, for the sake of suspense and so forth.

Hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think!


	2. Not Jealousy

Robin didn't hear Morgan when she told him to wait, too excited about seeing Marian to stop. Morgan rolled her eyes, stooping down to retie her shoelace, and glancing at her watch. It was nearly seven, which meant that Marian's shift was nearly over. Morgan grinned, knowing that Robin had timed it like this on purpose. And to think that he'd told Much that he would study.

"Study Marian, maybe," Morgan muttered, heading into the library after her friend. Sure enough, he was leaning on the main desk, smiling flirtatiously at the pretty girl with wild, brown hair and piercing, blue eyes. Marian was halfway grinning, halfway shaking her head, both flattered by Robin's efforts and amused by his childish antics. Morgan sighed, grabbing Robin by the ear as she walked past, nodding at Marian.

"Hallo, Marian," she smiled. "Sorry, but Robin's promised Much that we would get some studying in. You're welcome to join us." Robin shot Morgan a supremely annoyed look, but she either didn't notice or didn't care, tugging him along to a nearby table.

"Thanks, Morgan. I'll come over when my shifts ended," Marian grinned, returning to her work while Morgan opened her notebook.

"So, my fellow philosopher," she began, looking up at Robin. "Where do we start?"

"Empiricus," Robin sighed, slightly agitated that his flirting had been interrupted.

---

Allan balanced his pencil on his nose, doing his best to listen to and understand what Will and Djaq were saying. He could've sworn that they were speaking another language, though, and he had just seen something that held his attention far more effectively than organic chemistry. Djaq was the first to notice that Allan was no longer with them.

"Allan, you okay?" she asked, waving a hand in front of Allan's face. He nodded distractedly, not realizing how unconvincing he was being. Will followed his friend's gaze and rolled his eyes.

"Go ahead. I'll catch you up later," he reassured. It seemed to be all the encouragement that Allan needed, and Will soon found himself alone with Djaq, hoping that she didn't notice that he was ten shades redder than any person ought to be.

---

"This is stupid," Robin whined, allowing the notebook in his hands to fall to the tabletop. Morgan tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, narrowing her eyes as she read through her notes.

"Not being funny, but it's skepticism. Of course it's stupid," she replied flatly, shaking her head as she read a particularly confusing postulate. "I mean, it keeps going on about how they cannot believe in anything absolutely, but then it makes all of these rules. If they cannot believe in anything, then how can they believe in these rules?"

"What do you think the professor would do if I wrote that on the exam?" Robin asked with a grin. Morgan peered over her notebook, mirroring his grin.

"Considering that it's you, he'd probably have a good laugh about it," she guessed.

"And give me an A?" Robin continued.

"Don't hold your breath," Morgan advised, rubbing her temples as she reread the sentence in front of her for what seemed like the tenth time. When Robin didn't supply a witty retort, she glanced up, instantly noting the unmistakable aggravation in his eyes. Morgan turned to see what he was looking at, not surprised to see that his gaze had settled on the main desk. Marian was entering information into the computer, and there was a tall man leaning on the back of her chair, pointing at various spots on the screen.

"Who is he?" Robin asked. They couldn't hear the conversation passing between Marian and the mystery man, but Marian was smiling, the mystery man was smiling, and Robin was most displeased.

"That's Guy," Morgan answered casually, fully aware that Robin was about to push away from the table and stomp over to the main desk. "He was a friend of Michael's. What's wrong? Jealous?" Robin scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair, maintaining his cool demeanor.

"Of him?" he asked. Morgan raised an eyebrow, challenging him. "Please, Morgan. He's wearing a turtleneck."

"He is that," she conceded, taking in Guy's outfit, a thick, black turtleneck and similarly dark jeans. Thick-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose. She couldn't help but think that his choice in clothing, though potentially geeky, worked for Guy. She was sure that this was a thought that Robin wouldn't want to hear, and she instead returned her attention to her notes, occasionally looking up to make sure that Robin wasn't going to do anything ridiculous.

"I'm not jealous," Robin said out loud, noticing that Morgan was looking at him.

"Of course you aren't," Morgan agreed, though her tone indicated that she thought otherwise. "Now, about philosophy…" Just what it was about philosophy that Morgan wanted to discuss, Robin didn't find out. Before she could finish her sentence, she looked past Robin. Robin, temporarily distracted from his not-jealousy of Guy, turned to follow her gaze.

"Is that Allan?" he asked softly, turning back to Morgan, who nodded. Robin liked Allan. He and Morgan had been friends, apparently since primary school, and Allan came over to the house on occasion, bringing his extremely quiet roommate and Guitar Hero with him. All the lads living in the house were very aware of Morgan's affection for Allan. In fact, the only person who seemed unaware was Allan himself. This, Robin reflected, was troublesome.

He could accept that Morgan and Allan hadn't figured out their feelings for each other. He could accept that they dated other people. He could _not_ accept that Morgan inevitably went with guys who never treated her right, such as her current boyfriend, who Carter called Stupid Smarmy Git. (If Robin remembered correctly, his real name was Troy.) He could _not_ accept that the insane amount of drama could be avoided if they would just tell each other. He shook his head, knowing that it would happen eventually.

Allan was talking to some blonde girl, who looked slow on the uptake at best, and it was obvious by the casual way she was standing that she was flirting with him. Robin turned his attention back to Morgan, who had forced herself to return to her philosophy work.

"We can go, if you want to," Robin suggested. Morgan had been waiting for the suggestion and immediately closed her notebook, pushing away from the table and heading towards the door. Robin gathered his largely untouched notes and followed after. Morgan noticed that he kept glancing at the main desk, where Marian and Guy were still chatting.

"I'll wait outside," she muttered, nodding to Robin, who veered off towards the circulation desk. As he approached, he tried to keep himself calm.

"Marian," he started in a muted voice. Marian looked up at Robin, the smile on her face ebbing as she caught sight of his serious expression. "Morgan's not feeling well. I'm going to take her home." For the most part, he tried to act like Guy wasn't there. Marian nodded.

"Alright," she accepted. "I guess we won't be hanging out tonight, then?" Robin winced at the slightly affronted tone that Marian had used. He'd really hoped to avoid something like this.

"I'm sorry, Marian. Do you want to go to lunch tomorrow?" he offered.

"Guy and I were going to go to lunch," Marian answered shortly, returning her attention the computer in front of her. Guy seemed to sense the tension and cleared his throat.

"I'm Guy, by the way. Guy Gisborne. You are?" he trailed off.

"Robin Locksley. I'm Marian's boyfriend," Robin introduced. Guy nodded, making an attempt at a cheery smile.

"Well, Marian and I were just going to grab something for lunch tomorrow. You're welcome to come if you want." It was clear from the look in Guy's eyes that Robin wasn't as welcome as the invitation suggested. Robin repressed the urge to glare at the man.

"Yeah, I'll do that," he muttered. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get Morgan home." He bent down, making a point to kiss Marian on the cheek before he left, joining Morgan outside.

---

Allan frowned as the blonde girl walked away, a superfluous wiggle in her hips, trying to put on a show for him. While Allan was flattered, he was also annoyed. He'd been halfway to the table where he'd spotted Morgan when the giggly blonde had approached him. True, she was a pretty girl, but she also had an annoying laugh, and Allan was pretty sure that she hadn't understood his more intelligent jokes.

By the time he'd been able to get rid of her without making it look like he wanted her gone, a skill that Allan had perfected and was proud of, Morgan and Robin had disappeared. Allan ran his fingers through his hair, sighing with disappointment. He should've just ignored the blonde.

He glanced back at the table where Will and Djaq seemed engrossed in conversation. He grinned. Djaq would be good for Will, and Allan was determined to put the two together. Not interrupting whatever bonding might have been going on at the table, Allan decided to head back to the flat.

---

Will saw Allan heading out the doors, but when he started to get up and follow him, Allan shook his head, telling him with a stern finger point to stay put. Djaq watched the two pantomimed a conversation. She wasn't exactly sure what was being said in the wordless exchange, but she was confident that Will was losing. Finally, Will nodded and waved as Allan grinned and walked out the door.

"Did I miss something?" Djaq asked, grinning. Had Will just turned red, or was she imagining things?

"Allan's not really into chemistry. He's heading back to the flat," he explained. Djaq shrugged it off. It wasn't like Allan had been contributing to their review in the first place. She smiled up at Will, tapping his open notebook.

"Add a double bound there," she instructed.

"Here?" Will asked, pointing at his incomplete diagram, the tips of their fingers touching for the briefest of moments. Will felt like there had been lightning in the contact, and he felt that, if it was possible, he had turned even redder. He was so focused on acting casual that he failed to notice that Djaq had gone a bit red, too.

---

"Morgan!" Robin shot her a sharp look, begging her not to reply. He wasn't sure how Morgan's relationship with Stupid Smarmy Git had actually started, but he suspected that Morgan hadn't been able to say no. It was a common problem with her. Morgan shrugged apologetically before turning around.

"Hallo, Troy," she greeted awkwardly. "What are you up to?" Robin sighed as Stupid Smarmy Git caught up to them, automatically slipping his arm around Morgan's middle. She squirmed out of his grasp, stepping back. "Not right now, Troy."

"Why not?" Troy asked, ignoring her request. Morgan frowned, once again removing herself from Troy's too-attentive arms.

"I'm not in the mood, Troy," she grumbled discretely. "Robin and I were heading home." Troy shot a glance at Robin, displeasure evident. It had always bothered him that Morgan lived in a house with three men, and he was most wary of Robin, who was popular among the girls on campus.

"Where were you?" he asked.

"Studying at the library. We've got a philosophy exam on Tuesday," Morgan sighed. Troy frowned.

"We'll talk about this later," he grumbled, forcing a kiss on Morgan before shooting a final glare at Robin and jogging off. Robin crossed his arms across his chest, raising an eyebrow.

"Why do you date him? He's so…" Robin paused, searching for a word. "He's so ugh." He noted that Morgan didn't jump to Smug Smary Git's defense, and that she looked agitated by the kiss. Robin was sure that he would've gotten an answer, but a song cut through the air, emanating from Morgan's pocket.

_"Shariff don't like it! Rock the casbah! Rock the casbah! Shariff don't like it! Rocking the casbah! Rock the casbah!" _Robin hummed along as Morgan fished her mobile phone from her pocket, flipping it open.

"Hello?" she asked. "Hey, Allan." She listened for a minute, concern showing. Robin could hear Allan's rushed voice on the other end, though he couldn't make out what he was saying.

"Yeah, alright. We'll be there in a minute," Morgan promised, closing the phone.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked. Morgan bit her lower lip.

"They're tearing down Sherwood Heights," she answered. Robin stared at her.

---

First of all: Big, huge, unending thanks to Kates Master for proofing and helping me with the British University system.

Second of all: Sorry that it's taking me forever to post updates, but college is kicking my butt, and I've got writer's block, and blah di blah di blah.

Yay for love!angst? Sadly, this was mostly more exposition. Next chapter, we'll dive head-first into the plot of the story, and you'll find out what courses the gang are taking! Hurrah!

So, notes about this chapter…

I really like the idea of Guy with glasses and a turtleneck. I hope to make AU!Guy way less evil and such than Regular!Guy.

Also, tell me what your first impression of Troy is. I was going for "Stupid Smarmy Git," if you noticed. XD

Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Please review!


	3. Sherwood Heights

Sherwood Heights was the old-but-cozy street of converted, Victorian houses on which Allan, Will, Marian, and Djaq all lived. Most of the tenants were students at the university. The rent was low, and the street was close to campus, making it an ideal spot. The old landlord, Eddie Fitzwalter, had been a caring sort of man: though most of the students were in violation of their leases, he let them stay anyway. The man standing outside, however, was _not_ Eddie Fitzwalter.

"Name," he demanded flatly as Allan tried to gain access to the building.

"Allan A Dale," he muttered, tapping his foot as the man flipped through a list on a clipboard. "Not being funny, but who are you?" The man ignored him, jabbing his finger onto the paper in front of him.

"Allan A Dale," the man announced. "Noise violations. Repeat offender. Failure to pay rent on schedule. Definite violation of your lease." Allan's protest caught in his throat. The way that the man had rattled off the charges, one would assume that Allan was some sort of miscreant. While he did admit that he was appropriately roguish (it was popular with the ladies), he took offense to the black and white approach the man was taking. He did his best to remain calm.

"Right, look. The noise violation bit… I'm working on a music degree. I got a little too carried away practicing, alright? Eddie and I took care of it. Will and I soundproofed the room. And as for the rent… Well, I have a personal situation," Allan admitted quietly.

"Oh, blah di blah di blah," the man rolled his eyes. "Do I look like 'Eddie' to you? A clue: no. My name is Norman Vaysey, the new proprietor of this building. And you, my friend, have two weeks to pack up and get out."

"Hold on a minute," Allan blurted out. "Most of us are in violation of our leases. You plan to kick everyone out of the building?"

"Yes, actually," Vaysey admitted flatly. "Now, if you could start moving out as soon as possible, that would be appreciated."

"Where are we all supposed to go?" Allan demanded angrily.

"Not my problem," Vaysey replied, opening the door for Allan. Allan stormed inside, stomping up to his flat. Along the way, he could hear the multitude of angry phone calls and panicked tenants scrambling to gather their belongings.

Once he was over the initial shock, he pulled out his phone, punching in the first number he could think of.

"Hey, Morgan. It's Allan," he began. "Bit of a problem, actually."

---

"The horror! The horror!" Carter wailed, tossing the half-empty bowl of popcorn into the air, raining kernels down on the sitting room. Much rolled his eyes.

"You're addicted, Carter, and I'm not picking that up," he muttered. Carter grinned, scooping up the bits of popcorn scattered across the room.

"You forget that I'm in TV and film studies, Much. I'm not addicted; I'm studious. Tomorrow, we're watching The Goodfellas," he announced as Much shut off the television.

"Well, it may be studying to you, but I don't think that I'll be able to show small children gangster movies," he pointed out.

"You're the one who decided to going into teaching," Carter argued playfully. "Though why you chose primary school is beyond me."

"I like little kids. They listen to me, unlike you lot," Much said, only half joking. "Speaking of little kids, what's taking Morgan and Robin so long?" He changed the subject, nibbling at his thumbnail. Even though they'd made the promise to go study, he hadn't expected them to be gone for over three hours. Carter shrugged.

"You don't suppose…" Much half suggested, hesitating to say it out loud. Carter fixed him with a critical glare.

"No, I don't," he said firmly. "They learned from that mistake. It was just a fling; they both said that. Besides, Robin and Marian are back together, and Morgan is with Stupid Smarmy Git." Carter wrinkled his nose at the last statement. It was no secret that he hated Troy, ever since they'd been introduced. Troy seemed oblivious, but they suspected that Troy was oblivious to most things.

"I was just saying," Much mumbled, though he felt slightly foolish. "Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that they're not back yet. I mean, surely, those two wouldn't spend three hours studying."

"You could call them," Carter suggested, wandering into the kitchen.

"Hey, I could call them," Much nodded in agreement.

---

"Does Will know?" Morgan asked, folding his clothes and neatly packing them into his suitcase, seeing as he hadn't thought to pack them himself. Allan was far more concerned with making sure he had gotten his instruments and sheet music together.

"Not yet," he muttered, running his hand over the neck of his guitar before snapping the case shut. "I figured that I should calm down before I tell him that we're being chucked onto the street."

"You're not going to live on the street," Robin muttered, walking into the room. Allan looked up from his guitar case.

"You talked him out of it?" he asked hopefully. Robin cringed.

"No. I think I actually made him mad," he admitted, scratching at the back of his ear.

"Imagine that," Morgan smiled wryly.

---

_"There's got to be something unlawful about this whole deal," Robin almost accused as Morgan headed up to Allan and Will's flat. The balding man chuckled and shook his head._

_"Amusing. I assure you, there is nothing illegal about this eviction. I represent John Prince, and his company has bought this building from Mr Fitzwalter. I have the paperwork, if you'd like to see it," he offered in a mockingly polite tone._

_"What exactly do you plan to do with a building that has no tenants?" Robin inquired, crossing his arms over his chest._

_"Locksley, you said your name was?" Vaysey asked, though he didn't really care. "Tell me, boy. What do you know about the world of business? Apparently, not enough to know that they aren't charities."_

_"Well, I've been studying business for three years. I'd like to think that I know enough to know that there is something wrong with this," Robin retorted, his confidence swelling when the slick grin fell from Vaysey's face, replaced by a distinctive look of agitation._

_"Well, unless you want to hire a lawyer, I suggest you move along, Locksley," he ground out unpleasantly._

_"I'll think about it," Robin returned, bowing with unnecessary flourish before picking his way after Morgan._

---

"Not being funny, but what made you think that was a good idea?" Allan asked, stuffing his notebooks into his backpack. "You're a good person, Robin, but that doesn't mean you can change the way the world works."

"Well, I haven't tried yet," Robin responded. "Where do you plan to go, Allan?"

"I don't know. All the Uni halls are full, and anything affordable will have been taken ages ago. Will might know somewhere," he muttered distractedly, turning away from his pack, oblivious to the notebook that tipped out while his back was turned.

Robin bent down, picking up the notebook, inspecting the pictures splashed across the front. The center picture was a Polaroid of Allan and Morgan pulling silly faces at the camera. Robin tried not to notice the small cluster of hearts that had been absently doodled around the picture. He shook his head. How much more obvious could they be? He chuckled to himself, realizing that it had taken forever for him and Marian to finally get together. He handed the notebook over to Allan, who shoved it into his pack without a second glance.

"Right. Once you get everything squared away, meet me at the library," Robin said authoritatively. "Morgan, can you call Much and Carter and ask them to meet us there?"

"Yeah, but can I ask a question?" Morgan asked, not waiting for permission. "Why?"

"Because we've got a lot of work to do," Robin stated matter-of-factly, heading out the door.

---

As it happened, Morgan tried to call Much as Much tried to call Robin, just as Robin called Marian to tell her that he was on his way back to the library. While Robin had a conversation with his girlfriend, Much received a voicemail from Morgan, telling him where they had gone and that they were supposed to meet at the library. At the same time, Robin received a voicemail from Much demanding to know where they had gone and telling him that he and Carter were coming to the library straight away.

Robin remained unaware, ignoring the voicemail alert on his phone as he tried to convince Marian that he wasn't joking.

"Marian, why would I joke about something like this?" he asked, hurt by the accusation.

"Sorry, Robin," Marian apologized. "It's just… not something that I expected to be told on the phone. Why didn't my father tell me anything?"

"I don't think he knew what was going on," Robin said honestly. "Don't worry. I'm on my way back to the library. The gang's on the way. We're gonna sort this out."

"How?" Marian asked. Though she couldn't see it, Robin shrugged.

"Don't worry, I have a plan," he reassured.

"Alright," Marian conceded. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

---

Marian leaned back in her chair, sighing as she calmed herself down. Robin didn't have a plan, at least not in the conventional definition of the word. Usually, having a plan meant that you were sure of what course of action you were going to take in some detail. Robin's "plans" were usually vague ideas. Still, it was more than Marian's jumbled brain could come up with at the moment.

"Marian, are you alright?" Guy asked, pausing as he walked by the main desk, shouldering his messenger bag. "Do you need someone to walk you home?" Marian smiled despite herself and shook her head.

"I just found out, over the phone, no less, that my apartment building is being shut down," she said, throwing her hands up in frustration.

"Is there anything that I can do?" Guy asked.

"Well, Robin's bringing the gang over. He has a plan," Marian shrugged. "If you could watch the desk while I tell Djaq, that would be fantastic." Guy nodded, allowing his messenger to slip to the floor with a dull thud. Marian stood and scanned the tables, knowing that she'd seen Djaq walk in not too long ago.

---

"So, why did you choose chemistry?" Will asked, remembering the one piece of advice that Allan had hammered into his brain. _Do __**not**__, under any circumstances, let air into the conversation_. Djaq looked up from her writing with a grin.

"Because I love it," she answered simply. "Science has always been interesting to me. I don't want to just know something works. I want to know why it works. And you? Why mechanical engineering?"

"I'm more interested in the how," Will explained. "I love creating things, you know? I love to look at a machine and know that I can take it apart and put it back together." He realized that the statement might've sounded a bit boastful, so he quickly tacked on, "Not that I'm saying I know it all."

"Of course not. If you did, life wouldn't be much fun," Djaq pointed out sagely, and in that instant Will decided that she was the smartest, prettiest girl that he'd ever met. Not that he hadn't already come to this conclusion.

"Djaq?" the quiet whisper had come from behind Will, and he turned his head to see Marian standing near the table. Will didn't really know Marian. He knew that she'd been at Robin Locksley's house every time Will had tagged along with Allan, and he knew that she and Djaq were flat-mates. They'd never really talked, though, which became painfully clear as Marian tried to address him.

"Hey, Bill. Sorry to interrupt, but you'll probably want to hear this, too," Marian seemed bewildered, and it didn't help when Djaq broke up in giggles.

"What? What's so funny?" Marian demanded.

"Nothing, unless you consider that his name is _Will_," Djaq muttered, apparently amused. Marian's already flushed complexion reddened, and she snuck a glance at Will, who had returned to his lab report, a minute smile on his lips.

"I'm sorry," she quickly apologized quickly, to which Will merely nodded.

"That's alright," he accepted. Djaq looked between her two friends, noticing the way that Marian was wringing her hands

"Marian, is something wrong?" she asked carefully.

"I just got a call from Robin. He's just heard that Sherwood Heights has a new landlord," she began, being decidedly more tactful than her boyfriend had been. "And it seems that this new landlord is not as forgiving as my father about lease violations." For a moment, her words seemed to go right over Djaq and Will's heads. Then, the light of realization hit them. Will simply stopped writing, looking especially contemplative as he crossed his arms over his chest. Djaq stared, slightly slack-jawed.

"We're being evicted?" she asked. Marian nodded. "Where are we going to go?"

"827 Waverly Lane," Robin said confidently as he appeared from around a bookshelf. "You can move in tonight if you want."

"Who's moving in?" This question came from Much, who came around from the other direction, followed closely by Carter. Much managed to look curious, anxious, and irritated all at the same time, sharply contrasting Carter's calm demeanor. Will looked around, wondering if he was the only one who noticed how loud their new group was being, knowing that it would only get louder when…

"The gang's all here!" Allan announced cheerily as he and Morgan walked through the doors.

"What's going on?" Guy asked curiously.

"Emergency meeting," Morgan guessed as she walked past.

"827 Waverly Lane is where you live," Marian said, getting the conversation back on track.

"Yes," Robin agreed. "And you are welcome to live there, too. It'll be a tight fit, but we have enough room."

"We've only got four bedrooms," Much pointed out.

"You can move into my room. Will and Allan can take your room. Marian and Djaq can move into Morgan's room," Robin shrugged.

"Wouldn't that be an inconvenience?" Djaq asked.

"Not really," Carter muttered casually. "I imagine that getting a hot shower will be a right pain in the neck, but that's nothing we can't handle." Carter didn't know it, but this statement would soon prove to be painfully incorrect.

---

If anyone can guess why Carter's statement is wrong, the significance of Vaysey's first name, or the drama between Marian and Morgan, I'll give you internet cookies.

Anyway, here's chapter three! Big thanks to Kates Master for proofing and helping me work out the housing.

This will probably be the last chapter of this story for the time being. I'm trying to finish _The Grand Illusion_ and _It's a Matter of Resolve_. After that, I'll come back to this story, for which I've already planned a sequel.

At any rate, I hope you enjoy! Please review!


	4. Complications

The bottom line was that Marian and Morgan weren't as close as they'd once been. They'd been casual acquaintances before, knowing of each other through various mutual friends. The first time that Robin and Marian had started dating, they were perfectly civil, but that had all changed when Robin and Marian split up the first time. No one was quite sure how it had happened. One minute, they were talking about a possible engagement, the next minute Robin had signed up for a study abroad program, disappearing off to America for a several weeks.

When he'd come back, Marian expressed less than no interest in taking him back. Frankly put, Robin had been crushed. The afternoon after the break-up, Morgan had found him in the park, sitting on the merry-go-round. She'd sat down next to him, not mentioning that they'd been looking for him for hours, that there were other fish in the sea, or that every cloud had a silver lining.

_"Not being funny, but there are some pretty impatient looking children waiting to use the merry go round,"_ she had said. The comment had led to a smile. The smile had led to a kiss. The kiss had led to a date. The date had led to a short-lived relationship between the two. If you were to ask Robin about it, Morgan had simply helped him recover from a state of emotional chaos. If you asked Morgan, it was just a fun, little fling that wouldn't happen again. If you asked Much or Carter, it was an act of denial by both parties, designed to try and hide from the world that they were head-over-heels in love with other people.

Though the relationship hadn't really meant anything to either Robin or Morgan, it put an unforeseen strain on the budding friendship of Marian and Morgan. Carter understood the unspoken tension between the two young women, and he therefore understood that it wouldn't do to have them sharing a room. Robin, however, seemed to miss out completely, a bad habit of his, especially when the moods of women were concerned.

"Robin," Morgan muttered as they walked back to the house. "Not being funny, but where am I meant to sleep?"

"In your room," Robin answered, failing to see the problem.

"I can't stay in my room if Marian and Djaq are moving into it," she said flatly. Carter glanced over his shoulder, unable to stop himself from smirking at Morgan's attempt at subtlety.

"Why not?" Robin asked. Morgan seriously doubted that "_because your girlfriend hates me_" was the correct way to handle the situation, so she tried a different approach.

"Because the room isn't big enough for three people," she blurted out the first excuse that came to mind. "Let alone three girls." At this, Carter could contain his laughter no more and burst into a fit of sniggering. He didn't know which was more amusing: Morgan's lame excuse, or the fact that Robin bought it.

"Alright, we'll move you into another room," he shrugged. Morgan gave a skywards glance, the look on her face triumphant. She supposed that living in the same house, she'd have to work out her problems with Marian eventually, but she also believed that it would be wiser to take things slowly.

---

"Come on! I'm going to be late!" Carter groaned, allowing his forehead to thunk against the bathroom door. There was steam pouring out from underneath the door, which told him that there was little to no chance of him getting a hot shower. "Who's even in there?" Marian and Djaq had already gotten their showers. Robin was using the master bathroom. Much and Will had had the foresight to shower the night before.

Carter glanced back into his bedroom. He paused and amended the thought. The bedroom that he now shared with Morgan, which was Robin's brilliant idea. Carter shook his head. Sometimes he was sure that Robin, for all of his charm, didn't know square one about women. Glancing back at the bedroom once more, Carter noted that Morgan was pulling herself out of bed, staggering sleepily out of the room.

"Morning, Carter," she yawned, rubbing at her eyes. Carter frowned.

"Well, if you're out here, than who's in there?" he asked, confused. The door swung inwards, and Allan stepped out amongst a cloud of steam, a towel around his waist, another around his head like a turban.

"Sorry, mate. It takes time to look this good," he apologized, clapping Carter on the shoulder and winking at Morgan before strutting down to what had become his and Will's room. Carter chuckled, both at Allan's swagger and the bright red color that had crept into Morgan's face.

"Morgan, do us a favor and be more obvious, please," he joked, ruffling her hair. Morgan rolled her eyes, too tired to come up with a retort as she slipped into the bathroom. It took Carter a moment to realize what his teasing had just resulted in.

"I was only joking, Morgan! Be fair!" he apologized, pounding on the door.

---

In the end, Carter gave up on his shower, sprayed on a liberal amount of cologne, and dashed out the door. Will, who didn't have a class until later in the morning, tossed the panicked blond a piece of toast as he went. Will, unlike half of the people he was now living with, hated sleeping in. It was barely eight o'clock, and he'd been up for several hours. So had Much, and Will had the sneaking suspicion that the house wouldn't function without the guidance of Robin's best friend.

Much had made coffee, cooked breakfast, and even arranged everyone's books by the door. Will grinned. If that man wasn't meant to be a primary school teacher, he didn't know who was. He helped himself to eggs and bacon, wondering if anyone else was even going to make it down for breakfast. His answer came in the form of Marian, who was pulling her hair into a ponytail as she rounded the corner.

"Morning, Will," she greeted cheerfully, though he could tell that she was still embarrassed about forgetting his name. She pulled up a seat across the table and slid some fried tomatoes onto her plate. "Did you do all of this?" Will quickly shook his head.

"Much took care of it," he explained. "If I'd cooked, everything would be distinctly burned." Marian smiled at the joke. Her smile only widened as Robin stumbled into the kitchen, followed closely by Much.

"Hurry up and eat your breakfast. It'll get cold," Much said, pointing at the plates of food that dotted the tabletop. "Morning, Marian. Morning, Will."

"Morning, Much," they replied simultaneously, watching as Much busied himself with the pans he'd used to cook breakfast.

"Why is there an extra plate?" Marian asked, recounting the plates set around the table. There were definitely nine of them. Robin frowned at the extra plate.

"That's for Stupid Smarmy Git. Good job that Carter's already left. I don't want to deal with a row this early," he muttered. His tone signified that he himself would start a row with this Stupid Smarmy Git. As if on cue, the gang heard the front door open, and Troy soon appeared in the kitchen, sitting down without waiting for invitation.

"Where's Morgan?" he asked, his mouth already full of egg. Robin pointed at the ceiling, indicating that she was still upstairs. Troy looked along the table, raising an eyebrow at Will and Marian and Djaq, as she entered the kitchen.

"You have a party last night?" he asked.

"No. Will, Marian, Djaq, this is Stu--- Troy. He's Morgan's boyfriend," Robin introduced. "Troy, this is Will, Marian, and Djaq. They've moved in with us."

"Oh," Troy replied, smiling at Marian and Djaq, but eyeing Will with suspicion. Will noticed, but said nothing, too focused on the fact that Djaq had elected to sit next to him to be bothered. "Did anyone else move in?" He was really asking if there were more men in the house, which Robin automatically picked up on.

"As a matter of fact, Allan A Dale moved in too. You know Allan, don't you Troy?" Robin's tone was innocent enough, but Much knew better. He shot his best friend a sharp warning look. Robin was fully aware that Troy knew Allan. He was also aware that Troy hated Allan. Then again, Troy hated anything with testosterone that dared to approach Morgan. A simple creature, Robin mused.

"He's not staying near Morgan is he?" Troy demanded, not bothering to hide his jealousy. Despite the almost-terrifying glare that he got from Much, Robin grinned casually, spearing a piece of bacon with his fork.

"Don't be silly, Troy. Will and Allan are roommates," he calmly reassured, pausing a moment before commenting, "Morgan's moved in with Carter." The reaction pleased Robin. Troy sputtered incoherently for a moment, standing up and heading towards the door. He paused and turned on heel, fumbling with the zipper of his track jacket.

"Tell Morgan that we'll talk about this later," he finally managed, storming out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

"Stupid, smarmy git," Robin grinned under his breath, poking at his eggs. Much rolled his eyes, but Robin didn't miss the smile that quickly passed over his lips.

"I'll go check on Morgan and Allan," he muttered, glancing at his watch as he went up the stairs.

---

Carter practically flew across the well-manicured lawn that led up to the library, juggling his books as he took the steps in twos, banking to the right and entering the AV room. The room was dark, and the movie that the class had been studying, Casablanca, was projected onto the wall. The professor tended to lock the doors after he'd started class, and Carter was relieved to find that a girl sitting in the back row was propping the door open for him. He slid into his desk and grinned at the girl.

"Thanks, Rigby," he whispered.

"No sweat," she replied. "I got your text. We told him you were in the bathroom."

"Miss Rigby, I'm not sure how they do things across the pond, but I'd like it very much if you'd pay attention," the professor drawled from the front of the room.

"Sorry, sir," she apologized, her American accent more noticeable when she talked out loud. "I was helping Carter." The professor squinted through the dark room, taking in the newly filled desk.

"Ah, Mr. Carter. Nice of you to join us," he mused aloud while Humphrey Bogart read a note in the rain on the projector behind him. Carter sank down in his desk, taking copious notes on the movie, even though he could probably reenact the entire film, motions and all.

"Did you hear about Sherwood Heights?" Rigby asked as soon as the professor had turned back around.

"Yeah. Rob's got it in his head that he's going to stop it," Carter muttered softly. Rigby digested this piece of information, tapping her pen against her desk.

"Cool," she finally decided. "So, it's like a protest group?"

"Eleanor! Face front!" the professor repeated, clearly agitated. While Rigby cringed at the use of her first name, Carter frowned. He wasn't exactly sure what Robin's plan was, or if he even had one.

---

"You realize, Locksley, that this is more of a vague idea than a plan," The professor pointed out, setting his coffee mug down on his desk. Robin nodded, as if he'd expected the somewhat tepid response.

"Yes, but don't most causes start out as a vague idea?" he countered. "Anyway, I think that the Sovereigns of Sherwood movement would benefit from your presence." If one thing could be said about Robin Locksley, it was that he knew what to say and when to say it. The professor sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"He's bound to have lawyers, Robin. This won't be easy," he commented gruffly.

"I know some law students. I'm sure that they can help," Robin returned.

"Are you talking about Guy Gisborne?" the professor asked skeptically. "You do know that his uncle is Norman Vaysey, don't you?" Robin's expression was unreadable for a moment. Then, to the professor's surprise, he grinned crookedly.

"Trust me, the last person I would ask for help is Guy Gisborne," he promised. The professor shook his head and let out an amused chuckle.

"Alright. Draw up a mission statement, and I'll see what I can do," he muttered. Robin's face lit up.

"Thanks, Professor Little!" he called over his shoulder as he dashed out the door, supposedly to tell his friends the good news.

---

Will suddenly found that he didn't want to be in the kitchen anymore. Much and Djaq had headed off to their classes, and Robin had dashed out the door, eager to get the Sovereigns of Sherwood campaign off the ground. Allan had inhaled his breakfast and rushed out, instrument case in tow. That left Will with Marian and Morgan. It wasn't the ideal situation.

"You don't like me," Marian suddenly said, placing her plate in the sink. Morgan looked up from her food and stared for a moment. Will pretended to be very interested in the newspaper, hoping that lifting the paper in front of his face would make him invisible.

"_You_ don't like _me_," Morgan finally corrected. There was silence. For a minute, Will dared to hope that they were through, but his experiences with Allan and his multitude of ex-girlfriends told him that his hope was in vain.

"You dated my boyfriend," Marian didn't scream, but the almost growling tone betrayed her anger.

"He wasn't your boyfriend at the time," Morgan pointed out quietly, tightening her grip on her coffee mug.

"That doesn't give you the green light to sleep with him!" Marian snapped. Will peeked over the top of the newspaper, wondering if he could make a break for it.

"I never slept with him!" Morgan snapped defensively.

"You didn't?" Marian asked sarcastically.

"Of course I didn't. What do you take me for, some kind of stupid tart?" Morgan asked.

"If the shoe fits!" By now, Marian was shouting, and Morgan had slammed her mug onto the table, standing up.

"It doesn't," she ground out, "and maybe if you'd get to know me instead of judging me from your high horse, you'd know that." At that, she turned to leave, but Marian stepped in front of her.

"You're a fine one to talk!" she hissed, pushing Morgan in the shoulder. "You think that I'm some sort of conceited, self-centered princess!" Morgan certainly couldn't deny that. There was a moment of awkward silence. Marian's hands were balled into fists, and she was doing her best not to haul off and hit the shorter girl around the face. Morgan had her hands on her hips, glaring, almost daring Marian to go ahead and start something. Will sat very still, though he was prepared to intervene should they actually start fighting.

"I've got class," Morgan finally said, pushing roughly past Marian and grabbing her books. She stopped and turned. For a minute, it looked like she was considering saying something, but she shook her head and stormed out of the house. Letting out a strangled yell of frustration, Marian stomped up the stairs, muttering darkly as she went.

Will relaxed and put the paper down, feeling that it was safe to be seen again. Considering how dramatic that Allan had made the ordeal out to be (then again, it was Allan, and he excelled in the dramatic), the confrontation had gone rather smoothly. Sure, the conflict wasn't resolved, but there wasn't a bloodbath, and for that, Will was grateful.


	5. Boredom

Marian was bored out of her skull. It was quite unfortunate, when she thought about it. Literature was meant to be exciting and interesting. She decided that it was the professor's fault, though he probably couldn't help the fact that he was boring. Suddenly, and IM window popped up on her laptop, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

_PaintItBlack: You look like you're about to fall asleep._

Marian smiled at the message and looked up from her laptop. Guy, who was the teacher's assistant, was sitting behind the droning professor. When he caught Marian looking at him, he pantomimed a dramatic death, laying face down on the desk. She saw him move his hand to his laptop, and soon enough, a second message appeared.

_PaintItBlack: Here lies Guy Gisborne. Cause of death: Boredom._

She stifled her laughter, trying not to draw the professor's attention. Her fingers flew across the keyboard and she replied.

_VitaBella: Guy will be remembered for providing entertainment in an otherwise dull class. An impromptu salon will commence immediately after class._

Guy read this reply and peered over the top of his laptop, smirking.

_PaintItBlack: Marian Fitzwalter, are you asking me to lunch?_

_VitaBella: Sure._

_PaintItBlack: And Robin won't mind?_

_VitaBella: Robin doesn't control who I'm friends with._

_PaintItBlack: "with whom I am friends."_

_VitaBella: You're a nerd, Guy._

--

The clock was moving backwards. At least, that's what Carter thought. His third class of the morning would be over in five minutes. This did little to comfort him, as he was relatively sure that it should've been "over in five minutes" nearly five minutes ago. He leaned back in his chair, tilting backwards to see what Rigby was doing. She was watching something. It looked like some cop show. Carter tapped on her desk, causing her to shift her headphones.

"What are you watching?" he asked quietly.

"NCIS," she explained. "I'm trying to catch up on my shows from back home. Now quit talking to me before you get me in trouble again."

"Rigby, when do I ever get you in trouble?" Carter asked, feigning hurt. At that moment, however, he went too far back in his chair, sending him tumbling backwards. In a last minute attempt to steady himself, he grabbed on to the nearest available thing: the cord from Rigby's head phones. The rest of the class heard a stifled yell, a loud thud, and then a techno theme tune blaring from Rigby's laptop. Rigby quickly pressed mute on her laptop, leaning down to look at Carter.

"I think that this counts," she muttered flatly, rolling her eyes as Carter grinned apologetically.

"Rigby, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't fool around during lecture," the professor said sharply. "Carter, do be careful not to crack your head open. It'd be a nightmare for the poor custodian."

"Sorry," Carter whispered, climbing back into his seat, giving Rigby a sideways look. She looked more amused than angry, so he knew it was okay. Still, he felt that he should make a peace offering.

"I'll buy you lunch," he muttered. Rigby grinned.

--

"Steady," Allan instructed, watching as the younger student worked through the piece of music. It was obvious that he was trying very hard, and that was part of the problem. He was playing too rigidly, which probably explained his problems in the rhythm department. The professor had asked Allan to take the younger man aside. Allan didn't have a problem with it, but he found that it was becoming a bit painful to watch.

"You have to move," he finally said. The younger student merely stared at him, looking a bit like a deer in headlights.

"What's your name?" Allan asked, trying to get the boy to relax.

"Mark," he replied nervously. Allan motioned for him to scoot over, sitting next to him on the bench.

"Ok, Mark. What we've got here is a classic piece. Moonlight Sonata. I understand that there's a lot of pressure, because it's one that everyone knows, but you've seriously got to relax, mate," Allan advised, resting his hands on the ivory keys. "And move. That's important." With that, he began to play, closing his eyes as his fingers moved across the keys. Mark stared as his tutor plunged into the music, swaying lightly as he got more into it. He'd been working on the piece for nearly a week, and he hadn't been able to produce the kind of sound that Allan was currently drawing from the piano.

"How do you do that?" he asked. Allan opened his eyes, giving Mark a sideways grin, continuing to play as he spoke.

"It's easy when you get the hang of it," he reassured.

"But I've been practicing all week," he pointed out hopelessly.

"Practicing can only help you learn the notes. If you want to make the music work, you've got to put feeling into it," Allan replied sagely. "Take this piece for example. When you hear it, what do you think about?" He lapsed into silence, allowing the song to fill the small practice room. Mark pondered the question for a moment.

"It's sad sounding," he commented. "Makes me think of something really tragic that you can't stop."

"Alright. I want you to think about that. Keep that image in you head," Allan coached, sliding over. He closed the sheet music, explaining himself before Mark could protest. "You know the notes. Just play the image in your head." Mark nodded, though he didn't seem sure of himself. He began to play, and Allan was satisfied in the noticeable difference in the sound.

"Good job, Mark," he encouraged. Someone knocked on the door, and he glanced over his shoulder. The professor was leaning in the doorway, sipping a coffee.

"That's it for today," he announced. "Mark, that sounds much better." The boy smiled, gathering up his sheet music and muttering a thank you to Allan before ducking out of the room. "Allan, I want to talk to you."

"What's up, Professor Faulkner?" Allan asked curiously.

"Hey, none of that," he laughed. Despite the formal address, Allan was pretty close friends with the relatively young professor. In fact, Allan very rarely called him "Professor Faulkner" at all, instead choosing to call him by his first name, Renton. "I need you to do me a favor."

"If it's babysitting again, you can count me out. Not that your kids aren't lovely, but I still have the bruises," Allan said, only half joking. Renton rolled his eyes.

"We've just gotten in a new student." Allan could sense what was coming and groaned in protest. "Hold on. I just want you to help her adjust. I will warn you though; her English is a bit wonky. Most of it's the accent, though."

"Accent?" Allan asked.

"She's French," Renton explained. "And I have to teach a class. I know for a fact that you're done for the day. Just show her around."

"If I do," Allan asked hypothetically, "Where am I supposed to meet her?"

"Actually, she's right outside," Renton chuckled, jerking his head in the direction of the doorway. Allan peeked out of the doorway to see a shapely blonde, inspecting herself in a compact. Upon seeing him, she closed the compact with a snap, placing it in her purse.

"Well, hello," Allan said under his breath, suddenly interested.

"Imagine that," Renton smirked, walking over to the girl. Allan followed, hastily running his fingers through his hair and tugging at his slightly wrinkled shirt.

"Sophie Benoit, this is Allan A Dale. He'll be showing you around campus," Renton introduced. Allan discretely leaned back and whispered to Renton.

"I never said yes," he reminded. Renton looked between Allan and Sophie.

"So, go ahead and say no," he countered.

"Touché," Allan mumbled before smiling at Sophie, who giggled and waved demurely.

--

"Indian?" Morgan suggested, standing in the middle of the food court. Troy stood next to her, looking grumpy and agitated. He'd shot down all of her suggestions so far, and she was starting to get annoyed.

"No," he said flatly.

"Customarily, when you ask someone to lunch, you actually get lunch," Morgan muttered. She looked at him. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his jaw was set at an angle indicating anger.

"Morgan," he began. "We need to talk." She had anticipated as much and waited expectantly. Troy shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You can't share a room with Carter," he finally blurted out. "And I don't want you living in the same house as Allan. And I want you to stay away from Robin."

The list of demands caught Morgan off guard. For a moment, she thought he was joking. When she worked out that he was not, her surprise quickly melted into annoyance, which inevitably shifted into anger.

"Not being funny, but I'm not going to move out of the house," she said as calmly as possible. "And I won't stop being friends with Robin just because you feel threatened, or whatever macho thing this is about."

"Well, I don't give you permission," he said childishly, as if the decision was final.

"I don't need your permission," Morgan snapped. "I'm not some kind of trophy, Troy. You can't control my life." To prove her point, she tuned to walk away. Troy grabbed her by the wrist, jerking her backwards. He was gripping her wrist tightly, more tightly than necessary.

"You're _my_ girlfriend," he hissed. "You'll do what I tell you to do."

"Let her go, Troy." They hadn't noticed Robin's arrival, but at his interjection, they realized that they were causing quite a scene, attracting a small crowd. Troy glared at Robin, ignoring his request. Robin stepped in, forcefully prying Troy's hand away from Morgan's wrist. Troy looked between Robin and Morgan.

"So, this is what you want?" he demanded of Morgan. "Get rescued by your knight in shining armor? Ride off into the sunset and get home in time for a nice shag?"

"Just stop it, Troy," Morgan pleaded. "It's not like that."

"Oh, don't give me that! Why else would he stand up for you unless you were putting out? I'm not stupid, you little slut!" The accusation barely made it out of his mouth when Morgan slapped him across the face.

"Maybe it's because he's my friend and not some drooling, sex-crazed git," she shot.

"We're so over," Troy spat, holding his smarting cheek.

"You think, Troy?" Morgan asked sarcastically. Troy looked ready to say something else, but he decided to storm off instead, casting dark looks over his shoulder as he walked away. Morgan held it together long enough for Troy to get out of earshot before allowing herself to cry. Robin drew her into a supportive hug. She rested her head against his chest, and he gently stroked her hair to calm her down.

"It's okay, Morgan," he said softly. Turning to the onlookers, he frowned. "You lot, get out of here. There's nothing to see." As the crowd dispersed, Robin looked down at Morgan, who was calming down enough to speak.

"It's was never a good relationship," she admitted, sniffling.

"No, it wasn't," Robin agreed. "I'm just glad it ended before he hurt you."

"I dunno, that last bit was kind of hurtful," she pointed out in the most joking manner possible.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I don't think you're a slut. You _are_ little, though." He was glad when she laughed lightly.

--

Guy wasn't entirely sure what to do. He and Marian had left class together, ready to meet with Robin for lunch. They'd found him sharing what appeared to be a heartfelt embrace with Morgan. Marian stared at the scene before them, not saying a word.

"The way he saw it, he had two choices. He could explain to Marian that maybe it was all just a misunderstanding. He'd known Morgan for most of her life, and he knew that she was hopelessly in love with one person, and that person wasn't Robin. He could tell her to calmly ask Robin about it, assure her there was some sort of logical explanation, and then go to lunch with Marian and Robin.

On the other hand, he could perpetuate the tension between Marian and Morgan and Robin, offer his condolences, and then go to lunch with Marian. He quickly weighed his options and put a hand on Marian's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry."

--

"So, I managed to talk to some of the tenants, and of course, we've got their full support," Much updated as he and Carter walked towards the food court. Rigby was fiddling with her camcorder, listening with interest as Much talked about the Sovereigns of Sherwood campaign.

"That's good," Carter nodded, "I've designed a flyer. I'll see about getting copies made."

"You should do something big. I mean, getting signatures is all well and good, but if you can arrange something that will show full student support, something that will bring everyone to one place, that'd be better," Rigby advised, changing out the battery on her camcorder.

"I like how she thinks," Much grinned. "This your girlfriend, Carter?" Carter and Rigby exchanged glances and burst out laughing.

"No, definitely not," Carter answered. "That'd be like dating my sister. Much, this is Eleanor Rigby. Rigby, this is Much Miller."

"No way," Much said dismissively. "Really, what's your first name?"

"Eleanor," Rigby confirmed. "My dad was a big fan of The Fab Four. Just call me Rigby, and everything will be okay."

"Right, then," Much blushed. "Do you want to join us for lunch? We're supposed to discuss plans."

"Yeah, sure thing," Rigby accepted.

--

"Where's Marian?" Djaq asked, peering around the food court. They had all gotten their food and sat down, but Marian was nowhere in sight.

"And Allan," Will tacked on. Robin shrugged.

"Running late?" he guessed, sending them a text message just to be sure. "But, what was this "something big" you were talking about, Rigby?" For once, Robin was trying to stay on subject. Much was impressed.

"No idea, I was just making a general suggestion," Rigby started. She began to explain to Robin the importance of utilizing all forms of media, but Much suddenly noticed that Morgan's eyes were a bit red, as if she'd been crying.

"Morgan, are you alright?" Carter asked, letting Much know he wasn't the only one that had noticed. Morgan felt everyone's gaze shift to her. She squirmed uncomfortably.

"I ended it with Troy," she said flatly, feeling that it would be better if she just came out with it.

"It's alright, Morgan," Carter comforted. "He was a ruddy chav, anyway." Rigby nodded.

"Total chav," she agreed, even though she didn't know who they were talking about. Morgan managed a crooked grin and chuckled.

"Right," Robin redirected with a smile. "Now, about the big event, Rigby." He made a mental note that there newest member had a noticeably short attention span.

"Oh, nothing really. Just that you need something that will draw in a bunch of people. Maybe talk to the local news station, see if you can't get them to cover it," she recapped quickly.

"We should also consider selling merchandise," Djaq proposed. "Raise funds. Just in case."

"Yes, good," Robin agreed. "Maybe something that people can wear. Like a wristband or something. That way people will see it, spread the word."

"T-shirts," Morgan added on.

"What about a sort of necklace?" Will asked. "Or some kind of dog tag?"

"I like it," Carter seconded.

"Alright, Will, see if you can work out something for that," Robin delegated, jotting notes down on a pad of paper. "Carter, you said you made flyers. Follow up on that. Much, if you could organize a phoning list, like a sort of calling tree, that'd be fantastic. I'm going to talk to the university, see what kind of steps we'd have to go through to get a permit. The last thing we want is to be arrested."

"Too right," Will chimed in.

"Djaq, Morgan, and Rigby, I'd like you and Marian and Allan, where ever they are, to try and come up with some ideas for the big event. Alright?"

"Sure thing, boss," Rigby nodded, rifling off a salute.

"One thing, though," Will piped up. "If I'm going to make merchandise, I'll need to know what we're called." One by one, the gang looked to Robin.

"Sovereigns of Sherwood. That's us, mates."

--

Sorry that this took so long. The end of the last scene just wouldn't happen. Lots of love angst and a bit of foreshadowing in this chapter.

Don't worry. You've not seen the last of Stupid Smarmy Git. Or Nervous!Mark, slightly incompetent pianist. 'Cause we all know how much I love recurring secondary characters.

Hope you all enjoy! Please review!


	6. Encounters

Rigby's father was a business man. She'd spent a good deal of her life steeped in the whirlwind world of deals and arrangements. Her father would often let her sit in on conference calls, so long as she kept a closed mouth and an open mind. As such, she'd picked up the gentle blend of her father's jovial persona and sharply focused business savvy, and she had not trouble using the skills she'd acquired to meet a goal. Even if it meant a slight venture into a morally gray area. Rigby didn't think it was a problem. From what she'd gathered, the opposition practically lived in a gray area.

"You could've picked a more conspicuous meeting place," Guy commented sarcastically as he sat down. "Outside of a café? Really? Isn't this where they'd expect us to be?" He'd seen his share of spy movies, and the coffee house looked like it had been lifted straight from a film. One of those places where the informant and the spy always met up, only to be mercilessly shot at in the subsequent scene.

"Hide in plain sight," Rigby answered with a smile. Guy wasn't sure if it was the casual tone or the smile that calmed him, but he was now sure of something that he's suspected all along. This bizarre American was not who she appeared to be.

"You've done this before," he observed, trying to keep the knowing tone from his voice and ultimately failing. Rigby didn't answer, instead allowing her eyes to speak for her. Unfortunately for Guy, they seemed to be telling him to back off or else. The glare was all but forgotten as she moved on, acting as though he'd never made the comment to begin with.

"You graduate at the end of term," Rigby began. "I'm guessing that you have plans."

"I'll start off at a law firm. Start saving up for a proper house, I suppose," Guy shrugged. "Maybe a family."

"Okay, stop. I'd like to keep my breakfast where it is," Rigby interrupted, holding up a hand to reinforce her imperative. Guy allowed himself a crooked smile.

"Fair enough," he conceded. "Anyway, I doubt that you asked me here to talk about my future."

"In a way, I did," Rigby corrected vaguely. "As you very well know, Robin Locksley has started a movement to gain support for Sherwood Heights." At the mention of the Sovereigns of Sherwood campaign, Guy wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"I've heard as much," he said simply, trying to maintain an air of indifference.

"Please. Let's not be coy," Rigby sighed, waving her hand dismissively. "I know that you know, and I know how you know. It makes sense, really. Why would Vaysey pay for a lawyer when he can just have his nephew give him free legal advice?" Guy couldn't say that he was terribly surprised. After her initial display of professionalism, it would follow that Rigby had done her homework.

"You were spying on me? If you wanted a date, you could've just asked," Guy said casually, smirking in a daring, if not flirtatious, manner.

"Because you _totally_ would've torn your attention from Marian," Rigby said sardonically. "This isn't the point. The point is that you have valuable information, and I represent people who need it."

"Are you a lawyer now?" Guy asked, amused by her choice of jargon.

"No, I've just spent time around them," Rigby shook her head. "So, here's the proposition…"

"Oh, you're propositioning me, are you?" Guy interrupted.

"Down, boy," Rigby laughed lightly. "I'm merely suggesting that you testify against Norman Vaysey." The comment was enough to sober Guy up in a matter of seconds.

"I can't do that," he stated plainly. "He's connected. He's my foot in the door. Piss him off, and getting a job will be out of the question." Rigby didn't say anything. She considering the point that Guy had given her and reached into her purse. She fished a pen from the bag and quickly jotted a name down on a napkin.

"What's that?" Guy asked. Rigby slid the napkin across the table, keeping her hand on top of it.

"It depends. If you're not interested, it doesn't mean anything. If you are, consider it a job offer," she explained, grinning coquettishly. Guy tugged the napkin away from her, scanning the tidy lettering several times before he allowed himself to actually read it.

"You're joking," he scoffed. Rigby merely stared back at him, smoothing the material of her skirt as she waited for his answer.

"There's no way," Guy argued, even though she hadn't actually said anything. Rigby's grin widened, as if saying that what Guy was refuting was not only possible but a fact as well. Anticipating his request for proof, she pulled a manila envelope from the depths of her purse, holding it up with a slight flourish before setting it before him.

Guy perused the various documents he'd been given, glancing up at Rigby every so often.

"If I do this, he'll never speak to me again," he said flatly, flipping through the materials. The way he said it implied that the familial bond that he shared with his uncle was not as strong as Rigby had originally believed.

"If you don't, Marian will never speak to you again," she retorted. "I'm not going to say that this is an easy choice, but…" For a moment, there was silence, during which several thoughts flew through Guy's head.

The brash American had obviously picked up on Guy's not-so-carefully hidden feelings for Marian. While Guy was sure that Rigby wasn't hinting at the possibility of a romantic relationship, she did bring up a good point. Being with Marian as a friend was better than not being with her at all, even if she wasn't planning on breaking up with Robin. Not that Guy was about to throw in the towel on that particular front. Still, the partnership that Rigby was suggesting was mutually beneficial.

"I'll do it," Guy nodded firmly.

"Good," Rigby accepted. "Now, we'll obviously want to keep this quiet. We can say that this was just a study group for a class." Guy's sniggering stopped her short.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"You really think that my uncle is going to believe that I was having a study session with someone that doesn't have any classes with me?" he asked incredulously. For the first time since the meeting had started, the confident smile fell from Rigby's features.

"Your point is well seen," she muttered, embarrassed by this major oversight on her part. "Well, what do we say? We've started a book club? A knitting circle, maybe?" Guy rolled his eyes at Rigby's reflexive sarcasm. He mulled it over for a few moments. It certainly wouldn't do for Norman Vaysey's nephew to be seen professionally with someone so closely associated with the Sovereigns of Sherwood.

"Have you ever seen Spaced?" he suddenly asked. Rigby nodded slowly, and Guy could tell that she was already working out where he was heading. "Think about it. No one would suspect it. It'd give us an excuse to meet frequently and in public. It's a reusable alibi, and that's exactly what we need."

"You had me at 'Spaced,'" Rigby conceded, standing up and holding out a hand. Rather than taking it, Guy pulled her into a hug and planted a rather convincing kiss on her lips. Initially, she seemed too shocked to react. Even when the shock wore off, though, she didn't seem to keen to complain.

"Couples don't shake hands," Guy whispered in her ear. Rigby chuckled, sliding on her sunglasses and stepping away.

"I'll see you later," she chirped, giving him a cutesy wave as she walked away. It was a disturbingly accurate portrayal of a girl in a lovey dovey romantic comedy. Guy ran his hand through his hair, reminding himself that she was a film major that probably watched romantic comedies for homework and wondering what he'd just gotten himself into.

--

"Allan, have you tried number three yet?" Will asked, nibbling at his pen cap as he pored over his chemistry homework. Allan, however, had his headphones on and was bobbing his head rhythmically as he skimmed over sheet music. If Will was hearing correctly, and as loud as Allan had his music, he probably was, it Carmina Burana. Will meant to ask Allan how it was that he could whimsically bob his head to "O! Fortuna" when a scream erupted from downstairs. Will scrambled off of his bed, peeking out into the hall. Whatever it was, it was coming from downstairs.

"Allan," Will hissed. "Let's go check it out." When Allan didn't reply, Will rolled his eyes, resolved to fill him in later, and walked to the balcony overlooking the sitting room. To his surprise, which wasn't so great, considering the breakfast fiasco, Marian had a firm grip on Morgan's hair and looked determined to scalp the shorter girl. Morgan looked determined to crawl away, and Carter, who had either bravely or stupidly stepped between them, looked determined to stop them killing each other.

"Let me go!" Morgan screamed, swatting at Marian's hands as she tried to escape.

"I'll keep my hands to myself when you learn how!" Marian screamed back, jerking Morgan backwards. Incensed, Morgan turned to face Marian, slapping her clear across the face. Because of the close proximity, she also caught Carter in the cheek.

"I can't _believe_ you are still on about that! I told you: nothing happened!" Morgan barked. Marian slapped her in retaliation, also catching Carter in the attempt.

"You still love him, don't you?" she demanded angrily.

"For the love of God, stop screaming!" Carter interrupted. He took a step forward to further wedge himself between them, extricating Marian's hands from Morgan's hair as he pushed them apart. "And I could do without the slapping, thanks!"

"What's going on?" Will jumped at the whispered question. He hadn't noticed that Djaq had come out of her room and was standing beside him.

"I'm not sure, but I think Marian and Morgan want to kill each other," he answered softly. "We should go help Carter." Djaq led the way down the stairs and into the fray, holding Marian back by the shoulders. Will took hold of Morgan, but she showed more of an interest in running away than fighting Marian. Will had to admit that he probably wouldn't have wanted to fight Marian either.

"Now, can you calmly tell us what's going on?" Carter asked slowly.

"Marian saw Robin hugging me in the food court," Morgan blurted out, "and she thinks that I was trying to make a move or something!"

"You were hugging him back!" Marian pointed out caustically. "You dated him before! What was I supposed to think?"

"Stop!" Carter yelled, cutting off the imminent shouting match. "Marian, Morgan had just dumped Stupid Smarmy Git. Robin was there for her. As a friend. That's all. Morgan, you have to realize that just because you're used to just being around us, other people aren't so familiar with the group dynamic. Robin is Marian's boyfriend, and there are rules."

"That's not the point, though," Morgan grumbled. "The point is that she thinks I'm a tart, and she's never going to think otherwise."

"That's not true!" Marian snapped, though she had calmed down considerably. "I'm just not comfortable with another girl hanging all over Robin."

"I wasn't hanging," Morgan muttered under her breath.

"Morgan, I saw you! You were hanging! I'm sorry that Stupid Smarmy Git didn't work out, but that's no reason for you to fall back on Robin!" Marian minced her condolences with her anger, the latter of the two having a more definite voice. Morgan crossed her arms over her chest and frowned.

"You're one to talk. You didn't even want to get back with Robin until you heard that he was dating someone else. You treated him like an accessory first and a boyfriend second," she pointed out, her tone indicating that she'd been wanting to say that for quite some time. "Yeah, I was there for him, and yeah, we dated. But we both decided that the second bit was a misstep. He's with you, and he loves you! What do you want from me?"

"That's just it, though!" Marian blurted out. "I know that he loves me, but how do I know that you don't love him? I want to _know_ that you don't still love him!"

"I can promise you that I don't," Morgan swore.

"But how do I know that you're telling me the truth?" Marian asked, demanding more concrete proof.

"Do you want it in writing? Is that what you want?" Morgan asked sarcastically. "Just take my word for it!"

"Morgan, just tell her," Carter muttered, pinching his brow. He could already feel the headache. Morgan shook her head, but Marian pressed the issue.

"Tell me what?" she inquired.

"It's not really your business," Morgan said icily. Marian let out a stifled scream of frustration, running her fingers through her hair.

"Why are you so stubborn? Why can't you just tell me! If it'll end this, just say it!" Marian tried to remain calm, but she'd reached the end of her rope. "What's keeping you from going back with Robin?"

"I LOVE ALLAN!" Morgan blurted, finally reaching a breaking point. Her frustrated cry spurred several reactions. Marian stared, wide-eyed, trying to work out why Morgan hadn't just said so before and feeling slightly foolish for not seeing it herself. Carter looked up at Will, nodding upstairs as if to ask where Allan was. Djaq pulled Marian and Morgan a bit closer together, engaging a group hug to further patch things up. Will rolled his eyes and sighed because he knew that Allan hadn't heard Morgan's confession because of those stupid headphones.

The moment was interrupted when the front door opened. Robin and Much didn't seem to notice the scene they'd stumbled upon until they took in the group hug, which Carter and Will had somehow been draw into.

"Everything alright?" Robin asked cautiously.

"Marian and Morgan had a fight," Carter explained.

"It's okay, though," Marian piped up, finally regaining her voice. "I think we're okay now." She looked over to Morgan, who nodded in confirmation.

"That's good news," Much smiled, glad that, for once, he hadn't been forced to mediate an argument.

"And there's more," Robin grinned. "We got the necessary permits! We can host whatever kind of fundraiser that we need to!"

"We should have a benefit concert," Djaq suggested. "We could have a cover charge, sell food and merchandise."

"That's brilliant!" Much said, clapping Djaq on the shoulder. "We can start making plans after dinner. Speaking of which, I'm going to make a lasagna because I know that you lot haven't even tried to cook dinner." With that, he marched off to the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves.

"Well, it seems that this has been a most productive evening," Robin noted with a smile. This statement raised a red flag in Carter's head. As a film major, he'd seen many movies about underdogs, and he knew that such comments weren't due until the very end of the film. As such, he almost expected it as the blonde girl appeared in the doorway behind Robin.

"Hello, can we help you?" he asked, though he was sure that he didn't want to hear the answer. The girl smiled sweetly.

"Yes," she replied. Even from one syllable, the gang detected her thick, French accent. "I was looking for Allan A Dale."

"And you are?" Morgan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, of course. My name is Sophie Benoit," replied the blonde. "I am Allan's new… Oh, qu'est-ce que ce mot? I am Allan's new girlfriend."

"Oh, you've got to be joking," Carter blurted out, sparing Morgan a sympathetic look.

--

The end! Don't worry, there will be another story. I couldn't just leave it with all those loose ends!

This took forever because I could not for the life of me figure out how to write that fight with Marian and Morgan. Big, unending thanks to Gilari for getting me through this chapter. (She's practically co-writing this with me, to be honest. XD)

As for Guy and Rigby... For those of you that haven't seen Spaced, it's a show in which two people pretend to be dating to get a flat. So, no. Guy hasn't given up on Marian, and no, Rigby hasn't fallen for Geek!Chic Guy.

Anyway, the end scene sets up for the next college!verse story, so I hope that you'll all tune in for that.

Thanks for reading! Please review!


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